Ogunquit man returning to Boston Marathon

BOSTON — On Monday, Ogunquit resident John Mixon will be in the exact same spot he was in last year when the bombs went off a the Boston Marathon.

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By Laura Dolce

seacoastonline.com

By Laura Dolce

Posted Apr. 15, 2014 at 1:17 PM
Updated Apr 15, 2014 at 1:19 PM

By Laura Dolce

Posted Apr. 15, 2014 at 1:17 PM
Updated Apr 15, 2014 at 1:19 PM

» Social News

BOSTON — On Monday, Ogunquit resident John Mixon will be in the exact same spot he was in last year when the bombs went off a the Boston Marathon.

Then, Mixon – the director of Maine’s Run for the Fallen organization – was with friend Carlos Arredondo in stands near the race’s finish line when the bombs ripped through the crowd.

Still, Mixon and Arredondo, who lost his son Alexander in 2004 when he was fighting in Iraq, ran toward where the first bomb detonated, pulling aside staging and snow fencing to get to the victims. In a video from the Boston Globe, Mixon could be seen working side by side with National Guard members, tearing down the barriers as people screamed and writhed on the ground.

Photos of a cowboy hat-wearing Arredondo lifting a legless man into a wheelchair and then running with him to safety hit the news worldwide.

"There were missing limbs, burns and blood everywhere," Mixon said. "It was like a war zone."

A Vietnam veteran, Mixon said he wouldn’t let what happened last year prevent him from coming back. And this year he’s bringing even more Run for the Fallen runners and a bigger group of spectators.

“It will feel great to be back at the marathon this year,” he said.”The city and area gained strength from this tragedy."

While Mixon is quick to say that Arredondo is a hero for the people he helped that day, he said he was embarrassed by the attention he himself received.

“I only did what any real man would or should have done in that situation,” he said. “The same thing I would have expected if me and my family were trapped behind that fence and injured, nothing heroic.”

Mixon said both he and Arredondo have already made plans for this year’s race.

“Carlos will be with me at the finish line again this year, more popular and stronger than last year, our symbol for ‘Boston Strong,’” he said.

Mixon said he wanted to run, but a near-fatal heart attack back in September has prevented him from doing so. Still, he won’t be idle in the days leading up to the marathon.

“I will run the (Boston Athletic Association) 10K on Saturday as part of the Boston Marathon weekend - I can physically handle that,” he said. “My wife Linda and I will also take part in the One Fund’s tribute 1 mile walk/run on Saturday in Boston.”

And perhaps because of all that the past year has held - the bombing, losing his father, his own serious health scare - Mixon said he will be grateful to be back in Boston on Monday.

"I thought ‘Boston Strong’ was just a silly catch phrase at first, but I saw firsthand how generous and caring this area is," he said. "We all came out stronger.”